1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging device that images a subject and generates image data of the subject, an endoscope, an endoscope system, and a method for driving an imaging device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In related art, for endoscopes including image sensors such as CCDs (charge coupled devices) or CMOSs (complementary metal oxide semiconductors), a technology for compensating for variations in transmission cables by matching impedances of transmission cables for transmitting signals from processors to image sensors has been known (refer to WO 2012/020709). With this technology, signal voltage of an image sensor is output to the outside via an amplifier circuit such as a source follower circuit, a variable resistor is provided at a terminal of a transmission cable for transmitting a signal from the image sensor, and the resistance of the variable resistor is changed for impedance matching of the transmission cable.
In the aforementioned WO 2012/020709, however, because the load of the terminating resistor of the transmission cable is driven by the source follower circuit, current flows through the transmission even during a blanking period in which no imaging signal is transmitted, which disadvantageously results in large power consumption.
There is a need for an imaging device, an endoscope, an endoscope system, and a method for driving an imaging device capable of reducing power consumption.